educating today . ideas to ponder . resources to use

Uncategorized

Gender Insights Coming to Your ClassroomAn informative Educational Leadership article about current gender research and how we can increase equity for male and female students; don’t miss the included “Tips for More Gender-Equitable Classrooms”

Spread the Love projectOne teacher’s plan of action to promote kindness and increase self esteem in her Middle School classroom

Open MiddleA website chock-full of K-12 math problems that Dan Meyer explains “make math more like things students like” . . . the problems have an “open middle” (meaning there are multiple ways to approach and solve the problem)

More WODB!Another Which One Doesn’t Belong resource dedicated to providing thought-provoking math puzzles for students (and teachers!)

Seeing as understandingDr. Jo Boaler’s new article on how learning through visual approaches changes mathematics for students and gives them access to deep and new understandings; includes 3 key recommendations for educators and parents and accompanying activities

Adventures of a cardboard boxA short video adventure of an imaginative boy who meets and befriends a large cardboard box . . . an engaging illustration of how creativity can flourish in an environment that encourages it

Intrigue in the classroomTeaching Channel’s Sarah Brown Wessling illustrates how to create an environment that encourages curiosity and prompts critical thinking

Brain games and SEL skills3 simple games, from Harvard’s Usable Knowledge, that can become tools for teaching core social-emotional skills . . . and lead to success throughout the school day for students

Ending the year well5 end-of-the-year activities to help you and your students reflect on the year of learning

Let them use fingers!The latest research re-emphasizes that students who have well-developed visual thinking will be poised for success in the world’s new workplace . . . and it starts with lifting the ban on the use of fingers in math class

In the spirit of inquiryInductive learning engages students in higher-level thinking by having them analyze examples before being introduced to overarching theories or rules

Bending the rules of lightPixar’s director of photography, Danielle Feinberg, reveals how she creates stories with soul and wonder using math, science and code . . . inspiration for students imagining their future

Power of podcastsUsing podcasts in the classroom can help build students’ creative potential, prompt them to draw more novel pictures, think up more unique questions, and solve problems in more imaginative ways . . . Don’t miss these 2 great ones: Brains On and Tumble

SeesawAn easy-to-use digital tool that empowers students to independently document what they are learning at school

The happiness factorDr. Emma Seppala, author of The Happiness Track, explains how and why happiness is not something we can afford to lose in our classrooms . . . it is crucial to building the foundation of deep, meaningful learning

Worth a listen!A KQED Forum interview with Stanford professor, Jo Boaler, who calls on educators to shift thinking and revolutionize the way Math is taught

Which one doesn’t belong?A site dedicated to providing thought-provoking math-y puzzles for teachers and students . . . many right answers possible . . . good discussions inevitable
(don’t miss this related link for younger kids, too)

HowtosmileA free online collection of high quality hands-on math and science activities (provided by a partnership between Lawrence Hall of Science, the Exploratorium, the Science Museum of Minnesota, the Children’s Museum of Houston and the New York Hall of Science)

Exits and entries6 quick strategies to help find out what students know and understand

Doodling has purposeInspired by Sunni Brown’s TED talk (embedded in article), here’s a look at how doodling (sometimes known as sketchnoting) can help us all synthesize information and make memories stick

Conver-stationsA brief video illustrating an efficient and effective discussion strategy that involves moving students during small group discussions to deepen conversations

Found PoemA short video outlining this strategy that provides a structured way for students to review material and synthesize learning; useful for all ages and subjects

CrashCourse Kids and SciShow KidsCreated by Hank and John Green (VlogBrothers) these YouTube channels are brimming with educational information; organized in “courses” of short videos on a variety of high interest topics

The power of personal storiesA TEDblog post on how telling stories can help students and teachers inspire each other . . .and develop a sense of empathy along the way

Hattie’s 8 MindframesA brief video scribe animation outlines a set ofmind frames that author/educator John Hattie (Visible Learning) says underpin our every action and decision in a school

Deeper learningFrom Grant Lichtman . . . a summary list of three key elements teachers can use to answer the question “what should I do to transform my classroom?”

Thinking like Einstein and EdisonThe solutions of this century (and beyond) will come from creative people who are willing to look at doing things differently . . . here are two easy ideas to help us teach our kids to be creative

WonderopolisA useful site to help keep wonderment alive in the classroom; use the “Daily Wonder” to jumpstart critical thinking and support natural curiosity or check out the collection of “Wonders” for content specific themes

Importance of creativityA short video that helps us understand why creativity matters, why we must foster it and why we need to make sure it is at the center of learning

Start EmpathyA resource-packed site about Start Empathy, an initiative of Ashoka, “a community of individuals and institutions dedicated to building a future in which every child masters empathy” . . . don’t miss the Stop Bullying video created by three 8-year old friends